IIT Madras launches Department of Medical Sciences & Technology

The Department will integrate medical education and engineering to introduce innovative practices into clinical settings

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Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched a Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, which will offer four-year B.S. program in medical sciences and engineering in. This course will be a first-of-its-kind in India.
The Department was launched on 11th May 2023 in the presence of Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan, Co-Founder, Cognizant, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Medical clinicians on the Steering Committee of the Department and other stakeholders.
The course offers an interdisciplinary approach to prepare students for designing life-saving medical devices, drug discovery, artificial intelligence in medicine, and fundamental medical research. The department will train physicians to effectively apply technology in their clinical practice and lay the foundation for physician-scientists training in India.
Top medical doctors in India and abroad, who were also closely involved in the development of the curriculum, will be ‘Professors of Practice’ in this department, which has already established tie-ups with premier hospitals and medical institutions in India.
Addressing the inaugural function, Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan, Co-Founder, Cognizant, said, “Collaborative research in medical sciences can catapult India to a global leader in clinical outcomes. Our leadership in Space, nuclear, digital and biotechnology has demonstrated our research capability and potential. Extending this capability to Medicine is a natural next step.”
Innovation can be found at the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, chemistry, micro biomes, cognitive science and such other sciences. Investment in such collaborative research and practice is sure to produce outstanding clinical results.”
The goal is to establish an exceptional research facility for medical sciences and technology to develop and train ‘physician-scientists’ and engineering physiologists to become the future leaders in their fields. The new department will conduct both fundamental and applied research programs that connect various medical disciplines.
By providing the necessary resources and platform, IIT Madras hope to enable researchers to create innovative technologies that will improve the lives of patients for generations to come. The Institute also aims to establish an exceptional research facility for medical sciences and technology to develop and train physician-scientists and engineering physiologists to become the future leaders in their fields.
The Institute will also conduct both fundamental and applied research programs that connect various medical disciplines. By providing the necessary resources and platform, we hope to enable our researchers to create innovative technologies that will improve the lives of patients for generations to come.
Addressing the launch event, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “During the COVID outbreak in India, it became evident that we needed to incorporate technology into medicine to effectively handle similar situations in the future as a country. Though we hope such challenges never arise again, this intervention will be crucial in defining our response.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “Our mission is to unite professionals from medicine and technology to create ground-breaking solutions for medical issues that were once unsolvable. Our aim is to improve treatment options and revolutionize healthcare. Continuing our mission of IITM for ALL, we aspire to provide technological interventions in the field of medicine that shall enable quality and affordable Medicare to reach every citizen of our country.”
The Department of Medical Sciences & Technology will offer the following courses:
Highlighting the unique aspects of this program, Prof. Boby George, Head, Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Madras, said, “With this interdisciplinary approach to improve the healthcare outcomes by leveraging engineering and medical knowledge, new technologies can be developed that monitor vital parameters of various organs, detects signs of disease, and help to provide targeted prevention and treatment options. As engineering and medicine continue to converge, the possibilities are endless.”
Course Coordinator, Prof. R. Krishna Kumar, Institute Professor, IIT Madras, said, “The admission procedure will be through IISER Aptitude Test (IAT). Candidates must have cleared Class XII (or equivalent) examination with science stream in 2022 or 2023 from any board recognized by Council of Boards of Department Education in India.”
Further information and updates could be obtained from the Department Website – https://mst.iitm.ac.in/.